GOP

mickeyrat

Go Beavers said:

Merkin Baller said:

I have no faith that anything of substance will happen as a result of the Thomas story 

Correct. The ethics rules that apply to other federal judges don’t apply to the Supreme Court justices. The only option is impeachment and removal, and 2/3rds isn’t happening with this Senate. 

But I do believe they are subject to gift reporting laws

josevolution

Nashville,TN damn 

Go Beavers

mickeyrat said:

Go Beavers said:

Merkin Baller said:

I have no faith that anything of substance will happen as a result of the Thomas story 

Correct. The ethics rules that apply to other federal judges don’t apply to the Supreme Court justices. The only option is impeachment and removal, and 2/3rds isn’t happening with this Senate. 

But I do believe they are subject to gift reporting laws

It looks like it’s voluntary with the reporting. Sen. Whitehouse is trying to change it, but there’s a history of pushback:

‘No member of Congress has done more to spotlight ethics issues facing the U.S. Supreme Court than Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who has repeatedly sponsored legislation and pursued inquiries regarding the Court’s refusal to adopt a written code of conduct. Whitehouse recently claimed a small victory, when, as he put it, the Judicial Conference of the United States “adopted new, stricter rules requiring far more disclosure of free trips, meals, and other ‘hospitality’ accepted by federal judges and Supreme Court justices.”

Whitehouse may have spoken too soon. The change does close a gaping loophole in the information judges must report on their annual disclosure forms. But we do not yet know whether the new rule will be implemented by the justices of the Supreme Court. (More on that below.)

At Whitehouse’s urging, the Judicial Conference Committee on Financial Disclosures has announced a revised definition of personal hospitality, for which “the reporting exemption does not include . . . gifts paid for by any individual or entity other than the individual providing the hospitality, or for which the individual providing the hospitality receives reimbursement or a tax deduction.” In other words, no more private gifts by proxy.

The new rule plainly applies to lower federal court judges, over whom the Judicial Conference has unquestioned authority. Major media outlets, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, have echoed Whitehouse’s claim that it will also apply to Supreme Court justices, but that is far from certain. Chief Justice John Roberts has made it clear that the justices are jealous of their individual prerogatives and do not feel bound by outside constraints.

In his 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary, Roberts denied the authority of the Judicial Conference, stating that its “committees have no mandate to prescribe rules or standards” for the Supreme Court.‘

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3934664-will-the-supreme-court-justices-comply-with-new-rules-on-gift-disclosure/amp/

Go Beavers

Kind of odd. The more I read about it the more conflicting opinions I see as to whether it violates the law or not. 

Bentleyspop

josevolution said:

Nashville,TN damn 

Mighty white of them

gimmesometruth27

mickeyrat said:

Go Beavers said:

Merkin Baller said:

I have no faith that anything of substance will happen as a result of the Thomas story 

Correct. The ethics rules that apply to other federal judges don’t apply to the Supreme Court justices. The only option is impeachment and removal, and 2/3rds isn’t happening with this Senate. 

But I do believe they are subject to gift reporting laws

that is what makes them "supreme", i suppose.

Smellyman

Everyday the GOP just sinks lower and lower, it is incredible what despicable human beings they are.

Halifax2TheMax

Smellyman said:

Everyday the GOP just sinks lower and lower, it is incredible what despicable human beings they are.

One might say, “deplorable.”

Gern Blansten

mrussel1 said:

This Thomas story is big.  The D's control the senate and can spin up investigations.  He likely violated federal law here. 

yeah it's crazy....all this bullshit talk of Soros controlling Dems and look at this. A fucking billionaire magat controlling an SC justice. At a minimum Thomas set himself up for blackmail. i.e. vote against this or we'll tell everyone you stay on my fucking yacht for a month every year

josevolution

Anita Hill 

HughFreakingDillon

"...what with Clarence Thomas and everything"
            -George Costanza

brianlux

Thomas and Tennessee.  What can I say that doesn't contain at least 3 or 4 f-bombs?  Maybe one will do:  Fuck 'em.

Halifax2TheMax

Everything the repubs do is a projection. And we’re watching it in slo-mo. 5-7 years in, maybe half way. These douche nozzles aren’t going away. POOTWH’s trial and eventual conviction will only embolden them. Might as well drop all the investigations, lawsuits and charges and ignore it. It’s the only way democracy is restored and we get our freedoms back.

Bentleyspop

brianlux said:

Thomas and Tennessee.  What can I say that doesn't contain at least 3 or 4 f-bombs?  Maybe one will do:  Fuck 'em.

HughFreakingDillon

the "pro military" party:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/07/politics/senate-hold-military-nominations/index.html

brianlux

Bentleyspop said:

brianlux said:

Thomas and Tennessee.  What can I say that doesn't contain at least 3 or 4 f-bombs?  Maybe one will do:  Fuck 'em.

Yeah, that too! 

mickeyrat

because fuck women, right Iowa?

https://apnews.com/article/iowa-rape-victims-contraception-funding-41ad066f0831961eeec57a676b4a67d6

 

Health care costs Iowa United States government Texas United States Abortion

Iowa won't pay for rape victims' abortions or contraceptives

Today

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Attorney General's Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception — and in rare cases, abortions — for victims of sexual assault, a move that drew criticism from some victim advocates.

Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, such as the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowa's victim compensation fund also paid for Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy.

A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Miller's bid for an 11th term in November, told the Des Moines Register that those payments are now on hold as part of a review of victim services.

“As a part of her top-down, bottom-up audit of victim assistance, Attorney General Bird is carefully evaluating whether this is an appropriate use of public funds,” Bird Press Secretary Alyssa Brouillet said in a statement. “Until that review is complete, payment of these pending claims will be delayed.”

Victim advocates were caught off guard by the pause. Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a statement that the move was “deplorable and reprehensible.”

---

HEALTH

Health secretary slams abortion pill ruling as 'not America'

Nebraska church raises $520K to erase medical bills

AMA's first gay president to take over at tumultuous time

What does 1870s Comstock Act have to do with abortion pills?

Bird's decision comes as access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty following conflicting court rulings on Friday over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone. For now, the drug the Food and Drug Administration approved in 2000 appeared to remain at least immediately available in the wake of separate rulings issued in quick succession.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone. But that decision came at nearly the same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice in Washington state, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, essentially ordered the opposite.

The extraordinary timing of the competing orders revealed the high stakes surrounding the drug nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and curtailed access to abortion across the country. President Joe Biden said his administration would fight the Texas ruling.

In Iowa, money for the victim compensation fund comes from fines and penalties paid by convicted criminals. For sexual assault victims, state law requires that the fund pay “the cost of a medical examination of a victim for the purpose of gathering evidence and the cost of treatment of a victim for the purpose of preventing venereal disease,” but makes no mention of contraception or pregnancy risk.

Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, who served as director of the victim assistance division under Miller, said the longtime policy for Iowa has been to include the cost of emergency contraception in the expenses covered by the fund. She said that in rare cases, the fund paid for abortions for rape victims.

“My concern is for the victims of sexual assault, who, with no real notice, are now finding themselves either unable to access needed treatment and services, or are now being forced to pay out of their own pocket for those services, when this was done at no fault of their own,” she said.

___

This story was first published on April 8, 2023. It was updated on April 9, 2023 to correct that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice is in Washington state, not Washington, D.C.

josevolution

mickeyrat said:

because fuck women, right Iowa?

https://apnews.com/article/iowa-rape-victims-contraception-funding-41ad066f0831961eeec57a676b4a67d6

 

Health care costs Iowa United States government Texas United States Abortion

Iowa won't pay for rape victims' abortions or contraceptives

Today

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Attorney General's Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception — and in rare cases, abortions — for victims of sexual assault, a move that drew criticism from some victim advocates.

Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, such as the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowa's victim compensation fund also paid for Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy.

A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Miller's bid for an 11th term in November, told the Des Moines Register that those payments are now on hold as part of a review of victim services.

“As a part of her top-down, bottom-up audit of victim assistance, Attorney General Bird is carefully evaluating whether this is an appropriate use of public funds,” Bird Press Secretary Alyssa Brouillet said in a statement. “Until that review is complete, payment of these pending claims will be delayed.”

Victim advocates were caught off guard by the pause. Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a statement that the move was “deplorable and reprehensible.”

---

HEALTH

Health secretary slams abortion pill ruling as 'not America'

Nebraska church raises $520K to erase medical bills

AMA's first gay president to take over at tumultuous time

What does 1870s Comstock Act have to do with abortion pills?

Bird's decision comes as access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty following conflicting court rulings on Friday over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone. For now, the drug the Food and Drug Administration approved in 2000 appeared to remain at least immediately available in the wake of separate rulings issued in quick succession.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone. But that decision came at nearly the same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice in Washington state, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, essentially ordered the opposite.

The extraordinary timing of the competing orders revealed the high stakes surrounding the drug nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and curtailed access to abortion across the country. President Joe Biden said his administration would fight the Texas ruling.

In Iowa, money for the victim compensation fund comes from fines and penalties paid by convicted criminals. For sexual assault victims, state law requires that the fund pay “the cost of a medical examination of a victim for the purpose of gathering evidence and the cost of treatment of a victim for the purpose of preventing venereal disease,” but makes no mention of contraception or pregnancy risk.

Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, who served as director of the victim assistance division under Miller, said the longtime policy for Iowa has been to include the cost of emergency contraception in the expenses covered by the fund. She said that in rare cases, the fund paid for abortions for rape victims.

“My concern is for the victims of sexual assault, who, with no real notice, are now finding themselves either unable to access needed treatment and services, or are now being forced to pay out of their own pocket for those services, when this was done at no fault of their own,” she said.

___

This story was first published on April 8, 2023. It was updated on April 9, 2023 to correct that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice is in Washington state, not Washington, D.C.

But off course she shouldn’t of gotten raped it’s her fault! 

Halifax2TheMax

Gotta love Tejas and Abbott and Costello. What a great society. One can only imagine if it was a MAGA parade that guy rolled up on. I’m sure Abbott & Costello would be contemplating a pardon. I’m positive. Principles and all. Mad Max would be proud.

Texas governor wants to pardon man who killed Black Lives Matter protester

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday he seeks to pardon a man convicted of murdering a legally armed 28-year-old during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, while also chiding the prosecutor’s office that secured the conviction.

“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand your ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney,” Abbott said on Twitter.

Texas law requires that its Board of Pardons and Paroles make recommendations on pardons, which the governor may approve; the governor can also request the board to consider a pardon.

“I have made that request and instructed the board to expedite its review. I look forward to approving the Board’s pardon as soon as it hits my desk,” Abbott tweeted. “Additionally, I have already prioritized reining in rogue District Attorneys, and the Texas Legislature is working on laws to achieve that goal.”

Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to questions about what that effort would entail.

A Texas jury convicted Daniel Perry, 37, of murder on Friday for fatally shooting Garrett Foster in July 2020, during nationwide protests against police violence. Both Perry and Foster are White men.

The case hinged on whether Perry killed Foster, who carried an AK-47, in self-defense.

Perry — an Army Sergeant who wasstationed at Fort Hood in 2020 — was working for a ride-sharing company on the night he sped onto a city street full of protesters, The Washington Post previously reported. The protesters were crossing a street in downtown Austin and Perry laid on the horn of his vehicle.

Foster had an AK-47 strapped to his chest when he approached Perry’s side window. Open carry is legal in Texas.

In video of the incident, shots rang out and protesters screamed and scattered. Perry drove off, and Foster was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

Perry later turned himself in and told police that he had fired five shots from his handgun because Foster pointed his own weapon at him, The Post reported.

Perry’s defense attorneys said he had no choice but to shoot Foster as he approached Perry’s car with an AK-47 rifle, the Austin American-Statesman reported. But prosecutors said Perry could have driven away before firing his revolver. Perry’s defense team argued that Foster raised his rifle at Perry; witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle, the newspaper reported.

The jury deliberated for two days before convicting Perry of murder. He faces life in prison and awaits sentencing, scheduled for Tuesday.If granted, a pardon would free Perry of a prison sentence, but it does not guarantee the offense will be removed from his criminal record, according to Texas’s clemency process.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and Perry’s defense team did not immediately return request for comment.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/09/texas-pardon-blm-protest-murder/

Halifax2TheMax

What was that again about “generalizations?” From the comments on the above article. It’s happening, piecemeal, but make no mistake, it’s happening.

Tennessee - expel duly elected legislators. Florida - remove a duly elected prosecutor. Texas Federal Court - Order FDA to cease approval of a drug that has been in use for 23 years on grounds that it's "unsafe." House of Representatives - look to defund the FBI and Justice Department and obstruct a state court prosecution of a former president for political reasons. Texas - negate a jury trial verdict you don't like before an appeal is even filed.

GOP? Don't EVER again tell me that you are the party of "law and order" - or that you are not fascists.